Dustcap device



June 17, 1930. A. P. KEARNS DUSTCAP DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1928 OjflgVENTOR. BY M/ d ATTORNEYS Patented June 17, 1930 ANTHONY r. KEARNS,or nnwanmnnw JERSEY nus'rcnr DEVICE Application filed January 26,1528.Serial No. 249,604.

Generically this invention relates to closures or dust caps for valvestems, but it is more especially directed to the automobile type ofvalve stem, and is not only adapted to protect the valve stem from dirtor the like and to lock the stem to the wheel felly, but to effect theentire elimination of the conventional rim lock nut.

The principalobject of the invention is the 1 provision of a valve capof this character including a base member or look nut cooperativelyassociated therewith so as to be removed from the valve stem as a unitand adapted in operative position to lock the valve stem to the wheelfelly. 1 An important object of the invention is the provision of adevice of this character comprising coacting means adapted to engage thewheel felly and the valve stem to normally go lock the latter in place,said means adapted to be removed as a unit when desired. Another objectof this invention is the pro vision of a device of this charactercomprising a lock nut adapted to engage the wheel telly, a dust capthreadedly connected thereto, and releasable means carried by the locknut adapted to effect engagement of the lock nut with the felly and thereleasable means with the valve stem to lock the valve stem in positionby actuation ofthe cap in'one direction, and to effect disengagement ofthe re leasable means by anticlockwise movement in the oppositedirection to effect removal of the device as a unit from the valve stem,

A still further object of thisinvention i the provision of a device ofthis character, including a lock nut formed with a vertical tubularportion threaded to engage the coma plemental threads of a dust capandhaving mounted in the upper end of the tubular portion a plurality ofnormally'spring controlled loci: arms adapted to threadedly engage theva ve stem, actuation of the cap in one direo-; tion simultaneouslyefiecting contact ofthe, lock arms with the valve stem and lock nut withthe wheel felly to operative ly position the device and effect lockingof the valve stem with respect to the wheel ifelly. V 1 lVith these andother objects invie w,'whichwill become apparent as the description proceeds, the inventionresides inthe construction, combination andarrangement of parts, i hereinafter more-fully described and claimed,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like charactersof reference indicate like parts throughout the several ures, of which:r I Fig; 1 is a cross sectional view of my improved dust cap in positionto be removed from the valve stem;

Fig. 2 is asimilar View showing the device operatively positioned withlock arms engaging thevalve stem; 7 V

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the basemember orlock nut with the lockarms and removed; i i

F ig is a side elevation of the lock nut withthe dust cap removed andshowing one of the lock arms in position. 7 i

- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged detail viewvofa portion of the locknut showing one of the lock arms, operatively mounted therein; and iFig. 6 is a detailed view of one of the lock arms removed from thedevice; a

, The devices of this character with which I am familiar have provendeficient by reason of their intricate construction, difficult man nerof attachment and detachment, liklihood of loss during vehicular travelover rough roadways, and for other reasons unsatisfactory, and it was toproduce a device susceptible of being easily positioned, removable as aunit, adapted to sii'nultaneously eiiect operative eiigagement with thewheel felly and the valvestem to lock the device in position andsimultaneously effect locking ofthe valve stem to the folly, and.likewise eliminating the separateremoval of the lock nut where itis'necessary to remove the tire from the wheel,

, that I designed the device forming the subject clear without furtherdescription.

, with internal slots 4, each slot adapted to receive the lower portion5 of a lock arm 6, said lower portion 5 is provided with a slot 7through which is adapted to extend pin 8, suitably mounted in the upperend of portion 2 and extending across slot 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 5of the drawing. WVasher 9, coil spring 10 and washer 11, respectively,is adapted to be mounted on the portion 5 which is preferablycylindrical to correspond to the conformation of the spring, saidwashers and spring being secured thereon by pin 12, extending throughopening 12 formed in the arm 6, so that washer 9 willseat against pin 8andthe arm will normally be maintained in retracted position by theforce'of spring 10, as will be Each of the arms have a concave surfaceformed with right handfemalethreads 13, adapted to detachably engage thethreads 14: of valve stem 15, which will be hereinafter more fullyexplained. A cylindrical dust cap '16 open at one end and formedintermediate its length with an internalintegral cam ring 17 having aninclined face 18 adapted to f-rietionally engage the complementalinclined or cam surface 19 formed on the enlarged jaw 20 of the arm 6,for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. The open end of cap 16'isformed left hand female threads 16 adapted to engage the complementalthreads 3 of tubular portion 2 of the nut- 1 when the parts areoperatively associated, so that actuation of the cap to the right willtendto separate the lock nut and cap, and in order to prevent completeseparation, one or more screw pins 21 are suitably mounted in the lowerend of cap 16 extending beyond the mner wall thereof.

Although the operation of the device would seem to be clear from theabove (1%801l13i31011, it might be well to further state, that when thedevice is positioned over the valve stem with the nut frictiona'llycontacting'the wheel felly. the dust cap is turned to the'right,

which causes the cap to move away from the lock nut by virtue of theleft hand threads, causing the lock ring to exert force against the lockarms. causing them to grippingly contact the valve stem, at the sametime forciug the locknut against the felly, thereby not onlyeii'ectively securing the devlce 1n position, but likewise locking thevalve stem" against movement with respect to the felly,

It will be observed that the coil springs tend to exert a' downwardforce, onthe lock arms, preventing them from being carr ed up by thelock ring and so the force exerted on the lock arms by the lock ringcauses the teeth to grip the valve stem. The lock nut cannot turn oncethe lock arms grip the valve stem, sincethey fit into the grooves of thelock nut tubular portion. The dust cap cannot then moveupward away fromtheloek nut; since the lock ring contacting the lock arms secures themon the valve stem, the teeth on the locks arms are right hand femalethreads and therefore if the lock arms should turn on the valve stem itwould tend to move the whole device toward the wheel felly,aiddescribed, entirely eliminating the conventional locknut for securingthe valve stem to the felly, susceptible of being easily positioned andsimultaneously effecting fastenmg of the device in position and lockingthe valve stem to felly, and removable as a unit, thereby eliminatingthe additional 0l)81'- ation of removing the lock nut as is nowprevalent whenit is desired to change the automobile tire, yet simple inconstruction, manufacturable at a negligible cost, and efficient for thepurposes intended.

Althoughin practice I have found that the form of my inventionillustrated in thenccompanying drawings and'referred to in the abovedescription as the preferred embodiment, is the most efiicient andpractical; yet realizingthe conditions concurrent with the adoption ofmy invention will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that variousminor changes in details of construction, pro portion and arrangement ofparts, may be resortedto within the scope of theappended claims withoutdeparting from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.

"Having thus described my invention, what I desire protected by LettersPatent is as set forth inthe following claims:

1. A dust cap device comprising a lock nut member adapted to slip overthe valve stem of an automobile tire, a plurality of lock arms formedwith cam surfaces loose- 1y mounted in' said member, a spring meanscoacting with each of the arms to normally maintain the same inretracted position and out of engagement with said valvestem, a capmember formed interiortliereof with an annular member having a cam facefor engagement with the cam surfaces of said arms'to force the latterinwardly against the means in connection with the locking arms tonormally maintain same out of engagement with the'valve stem, a capmember adapted to threadedly engage said tubular portion, cam meanscarried by a cap adapted to engage the cam surfaces of said lock arms toforce the same against the tension of said springs to effect theirgripping engagement with the valve stem when the cap is rotated in apredetermined direction and simultaneously effect frictional engagementof the lock nut with the felly to rigidly secure said device thereto andprevent movement of the valve with respect to said felly.

3. A dust cap device comprising a lock nut adapted to slip over thevalve stemof an automobile tire, having a threaded tubular portionformed'with a plurality of slots, a lock arm having a cam surfaceretraotibly mounted in each of said slots, a dust cap adapted to embracesaid arms and the valve stem of an automobile wheel and threadedlyengage said tubular portion, said cap being formed with cam meansadapt-ed to engage the cam surfaces of said arms to force the sameinwardly against the tension of their springs and effect grippingengagement thereof with said valve stem and simultaneously effectfrictional engagement of the said lock nut with the wheel felly whensaid cap is actuated in tightening direction to secure said device onsaid valve stem and prevent movement of said stem with respect to thefelly.

4. A dust cap comprising a lock nut member including a tubular portionadapted to encircle the Valve stem of an automobile tire, a plurality oflocking members having cam surfaces associated with said portion andrelatively movable with respect thereto, means in connection with thelocking members to normally maintain same out of engagement with saidtubular portion, a cap member formed interiorly with a projection havinga cam face, said cam face adapted to engage the cam surfaces of thelocking members to force the latter inwardly and into grippingengagement with the valve stem when the cap is rotated in apredetermined direction the interaction of the locking members with thevalve stem in conjunction with the rotation of the cap functioning toforce the lock internally threaded for engagement with the threadedportion of the collar, said cam surface adapted to engage the camsurfaces of the locking members to. force the latter inwardly againstthe tension of their springs and at the same time force them intogripping engagement with the valve stem when the cap is rotated in apredetermined direction, the interaction of the locking members with thevalve stem and in conjunction with the rotation of the cap being adaptedto force the locking nut into rigid engagement with the felly of thewheel.

' ANTHONY P. KEARNS.

ing nut into rigid engagement with the felly' of the wheel.

5. A dust cap comprising a lock nut ber including an externally threadedcollar adapted to encircle the valve stem, a plurality of lockingmembers having cam surfaces associated with the collar and relativelymovable with respect thereto, spring actu ated means in connection withthe locking members to normally maintain same out of engagement with thevalve stem, a cap member formed with an interior projection having a camsurface, said cap member being

